“He’s made superstar status,” James said of Harden after watching him put up 36 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. “He’s worthy of the max contract he received from that team. He can do a little bit of everything.”

The Heat could not handle Harden’s aggression for most of the game as he blitzed them in transition. He was his trademark self in creating contact and getting to the free throw line in the halfcourt. And when he had the Heat on their heels, he stepped back for jumpers, leaving them looking mildly foolish at times.

That included James. Twice in the final few minutes, Harden showed James up with the ball. With James respecting Harden’s drive he duped with step-backs that almost allowed the Rockets to pull off the comeback. At the other end, James struggled to get space with Harden on him. In the fourth quarter, Harden had 16 points and James had two, though James played only the last six minutes.